Vibha, Walter Reed, Last Tango, Sinatra

I really enjoyed reading Babita Persaud's three-part series about arranged marriages in Indian culture. This topic is something I had only heard about, but not really known in depth how much of a process it was. It's hard to believe that there are resume's and photos involved, or that Vibha's mother traveled to India to interview possible future husbands for her daughter. Obviously, it is a cultural difference for me to not understand the whole process of arranged marriage. On my own, I wouldn't elect to read a story about arranged marriages, it doesn't really catch my attention all that much. But, I really loved Persaud's presentation of the story. Even though it was lengthy, I found myself anxious to get to the next part of the series. I was excited to see if it would end up being a man her parent's had chosen or if it would be someone Vibha would. I think the reason why I was so happy that Vibha's husband ended up being a man she was friends with was because of how unfamiliar I am with the culture. It is so foreign to me when I imagine my parents picking a boyfriend for me, let alone my husband! I'm sure it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world, seeing as even in Vibha's case she did appreciate her mother's opinion a lot. What struck me most about this whole series was how long Persaud spent with this family. Three years is a LONG time. I tried to imagine myself doing that, or even how Persaud initially got the family to trust her. Perhaps because she is of Indian descent as well. Either way, that was most fascinating.

Anne Hull and Dana Priest's piece "Little Relief on Ward 53" was very disheartening to read. It was so unfortunate to read how little is being done to help soldiers that return from war. Particularly reading about Joshua Calloway's personal experience with post traumatic stress after returning from war was troubling. Much like any person who is experiencing deep psychological issues, it is difficult to hear or read about what they are going through and not feel a sense of sadness for them. He was so traumatized by the death of his sergeant that it affected his daily life. I think it was very important that this piece was written. I certainly had no idea that so little resources are available to soldiers with PTSD, and that soldiers with actual physical wounds receive greater and better attention than those with emotional and mental wounds.

Gay Talese's piece on Frank Sinatra was interesting. While it wasn't my favorite piece, I certainly found it fascinating that such a lengthy piece could be written about how having a cold affects Sinatra. Especially since I have a difficult time with the literary journalism style of writing, it was certainly insightful to see how so much detail and so much story could be written out of one seemingly small idea. I liked reading this a little probably only because Frank Sinatra is such a huge icon, he's likable which makes him easy to read about. However, I would imagine that perhaps the cold was meant to symbolize the feelings Sinatra had about turning fifty soon.

Mike Sager's piece about finding Marlon Brando in Tahiti was.. different. I know we've learned in class that sometimes bringing yourself into the piece is okay, depending on how you do it. I thought this piece was definitely more about Sager than about his mission to find Brando. He didn't ever actually talk to Brando, just other sources and other information. Which I guess that can work on some level, but I didn't think it worked that well for this piece.

In Cold Blood

Capote’s In Cold Blood was a very interesting read. Sometimes when I read stories, articles, etc. when it is too wordy or descriptive I get bored easily but for some reason this was different. I think Capote’s purpose in using great detail was to engage the reader enough to understand how real this tragic event was. By describing the killers, Perry and Dick, and their activities previous to the murder, Capote managed to developed them into real people instead of just murderers. And while it would probably prove difficult to capture a family so well, considering when he wrote this they had all died, but Capote delivers it well and without using first person. I thought that was pretty impressive, especially considering how close he got to the story.

I think a major aspect of this book that becomes challenging is that by default it asks for the reader’s sympathy in regards to Dick & Perry. I think that was Capote’s point. I think he wanted the reader to understand the men behind the murder in the midst of grasping such a tragic event. This becomes challenging because I think it is hard for most people to have sympathy or acknowledge sympathy for someone who does such horrible things. Sure, you feel bad for someone who has lost family members to suicide. But after putting into context, like if who you are feeling bad for turns out to be a murderer, it takes away some, if not all, of the sympathy.

However, a tragic or shocking event such as what happened to the Clutters usually causes a mixed and unusual reaction. Especially to be living in such a small town as Holcomb, I’m sure the initial reactions were something along the lines of, “you don’t expect something like this to happen in a small town like this.” That is almost always the response to a highly tragic event, I think because it is too overwhelming to think about it. But even at that, part of you wants to know what could possibly make a person commit such a heinous crime. What makes them tick? It reminds me of the VT shootings. That was a horribly tragic event, but afterwards how much information and stories were aired all over the TV, newspapers, etc. about the boy who committed the crime. It was like you wanted to watch it and find out about him, and what could possibly make him do such a thing but at the same time you were sitting there wondering why you even cared about such a detestable person. I think this is the same reason why In Cold Blood is a testing novel. It attempts to make you understand the murder as a whole, not just from the Clutter’s point of view, and not just from the killers.

Crane, Herr & Wright

I was a little apprehensive about these articles, knowing that they would be dealing directly with those at war. My boyfriend goes to the Naval Academy in Annapolis, and he just signed his two for seven which requires him five years of mandatory service after he graduates. He's going straight into the Marines, so this was enlightening and difficult all at the same time. For anyone, whether you know someone in military services or not, these were difficult reads. Not difficult in that the style or level of writing was intense, but it's a harsh look at reality: our country at war. What all of the pieces managed to do very well was place the reader very directly into the scene. You could imagine the images, no matter how disturbing they may have been.

Crane's article, "Marines Signaling Under Fire at Guantanamo" was interesting. It was very descriptive, and it certainly placed me right in the midst of the action. I didn't necessarily like the article, for some reason I was kind of bored. However, the most moving part of his article were the last sentences in our version, "I know nothing about war, of course, and pretend nothing, but I have been enabled from time to time to see brush fighting, and I want to say here plainly that the behavior of these Rough Riders while marching through the woods shook me with terror as I have never before been shaken." I think that thought/idea really captures how any normal civilian would understand and feel about experiencing even a day of what these men and women experience for months, even years.

I really liked Herr's Article, "Hell Sucks." I love when the title or a focal point of an article is actually something small scattered within the pages, yet really captures the whole thing. That's very creative. I did have somewhat of a hard time following this article, which is embarrassingly because I don't know much about this particular war (oops). Well, I could follow it, I just didn't understand what some things meant like, "VC" or "NVA". Other than that, I liked a bunch of things about it. I liked how much Herr really captured little details that mattered so much. For example, what the men and women would write on their helmets and jackets, names of old operations, girlfriends names, or their war names. The impression I got from Herr's article was that these men and women really fight hard and really grab motivation and strength from whatever source they can think of.

Most of all, I loved Wright's article "The Killer Elite." Now, first of all the way I guage if something is a worthy read or not is whether or not it really moves me. Not just in a way that makes me think about it for a while, but makes me think about it in a way I've never thought about before. Or even if it stirs deep emotion. Without a doubt having someone so close to me coming upon a transition to military life certainly effected how I reacted to this article. There were many points when (I hate to admit it) I started to get really upset and had to go back to reading it later. It's hard to imagine anyone in these situations taking one step in the wrong direction, or one split second of distraction just losing their life. Whether or not the this article is read by someone who does or doesn't support the war, I think it will undoubtedly make someone support the sacrifice that these men and women make everyday. Ah such a serious note. My favorite part of this article was when Wright described some of the back and forth banter between the men. It immediately made me think of my boyfriend, his friends and how they would probably be acting just like those guys. I think an amazing part of this piece was how Wright kept the phrase "Get Some!" as a constant thread throughout. I think it does really capture the mentality and sense of excitement the men and women experience during times of war. But besides just looking at it as a somewhat barbaric phrase, it is also something that definitely unifies all of them. That is their own phrase that they use. And only those men and women truly understand how much that phrase means.

Amish Reporting Trip!

I think in any circumstance in which a writer can not be informed about a certain person, group, situation, etc. it's very difficult to obtain a legitimate story. While a writer may have strong interviewing skills, it is irrelevant because ultimately that person knows you are writing a story and can choose which information they want to use to portray themselves. Obtaining a story alone creates a bias because of that reason. Regarding the Amish or Mennonites, that's just a whole other story. There's close to no real and valid information to be found about them anywhere. Yes there are some published pieces and some websites scattered here and there, but it's not like going onto the internet or a library and looking up George Washington. And it's like that for a reason. Both the Amish and Mennonite communites are contained and controlled, and they want to keep it that way. That is the specific problem with reporting on them. I still have no clue what I am going to write about for this piece and I think it has a lot to do with the issue of people choosing what information will portray them. Those men at the Mennonite school who were all dressed EXACTLY the same completely dodged all of our questions. And even though that one man said a little and glossed over people's questions, he still managed to throw in backhanded comments such as, "Well, there's so much a woman can learn in the kitchen too..." !!!WHAT!!! But anyway, there are probably so many aspects about the Amish or Mennonite community that nobody knows about besides the people that reside within the community. How would we know or not? We wouldn't...

I know there is no way, but I wish I could tell a really genuine story about the Amish. I'm not trying to be picky, but the Mennonites seemed very unwelcoming and the Amish made me really happy. I wish I would be able to be so enveloped in their lives and culture that I could find out something that no one knows. It doesn't even have to be some huge, ridiculous secret - just something that can give us outsiders more of an understanding and view into their lives. I think that would be great, because again, there's only so much they're telling us. I'm not trying to make them sound secretive and anti-social, but if I were to be interviewed about my life there are certain things I would leave out if I knew it was going to be written up. And I think that's what most people would do, if you can control your image you will.

I think in order to tell a story such as that I would have to be completely immersed in their community. I think it would have to go as far as me becoming a member of their society. I can't imagine any other way to have them trust me and allow me into their lives. I believe that would give me a fair stance in telling the story because I have a taste of both worlds, theirs and mine. I would finally understand the underlying values, traditions, practice and unwritten rules in their society/culture. That would benefit me most if I were to write something about them. Knowing the little things, like something that is disrespectful to them but wouldn't mean a thing to me.

Well, the advantages of using a fixer is that it serves as a very helpful medium between both worlds. I feel like we probably gained access to certain things in the community that we wouldn't have if a fixer wasn't there. I don't really think there are any disadvantages to having a fixer at all actually. But, our fixer was a tad irritating. Maybe it was the long day...

I think if the Amish or Mennonites viewed me in my space they would be uncomfortable. I'm not crazy or anything, but I feel like they are very set in their beliefs and values and would possibly look down on my lifestyle. They would certainly find things that are important to me in my room which may or may not speak loudly of me. I think it's a little difficult to report a story accurately because there is always some level of bias, especially in a situation in which you are not familiar or maybe feel a little out of place.

Finally, I absolutely loved this trip. Although it was a long day, it's something I'll remember for the rest of my life. That may sound dramatic but I thought it was great, it was so different there. There was a real sense of peace and happiness among everyone. Also, it was the only place I've been to in my life where I really felt like God was there. It was a very humbling experience.

The Invisible Reporter

I really enjoyed this Q&A piece, I thought it was great. It really helped me to get a better sense of how to approach the different aspects of journalism such as gaining trust, interviewing and even the reporting itself. From Hull's piece I got the impression that whatever you are reporting on, to tackle it head on, and just "report the heck out of something." I had trouble with my last piece - too boring, so I enjoyed her enthusiasm and advice.
I think this piece will also prove to be very helpful for our class trip to Lancaster county next week. It was actually really reassuring that sometimes, you can't know everything about a certain culture or a place. I've been to Lancaster county once, and I barely remember it. So, I am a little nervous about the trip. Nobody wants to be the person who asks an over-the-line question. However, I think it was really important for us to raise questions that we weren't sure we could ask on the trip in class first. By asking those questions in class, all of us started to get the idea of what would be crossing the line. This piece helped me realize that with reporting, you can't always go right into something and ask whatever you want just because you're interested. I think there do need to be boundaries in journalism.

Cramer

Cramer's intimate journalism piece, How the World Turns in West Philadelphia, was very eye-opening, to say the least. He certainly managaed to capture the daily life and routine of the Monroe's unfortunate means of living in West Philadelphia. I have personally never read anything so detailed and matter-of-fact about that particular way of life. Cramer helps the reader to understand how much of a daily battle it is to live off of welfare checks or getting a job that only pays $3 an hour. As one of many students that goes to St. Joe's, it made me feel really selfish. It caused me to step back a little to consider the difficult struggles that other people are facing that live right down the street from me. I really just felt like anything that is a stressor in my life, or even my friends' lives, etc. are all just trivial compared to a difficulty such as rumaging to find twenty dollars to pay for your daughter's graduation dress.
One particular thread throughout the piece that I really enjoyed was that no matter how down and how hard times got for the Monroe's, they found such peace and comfort in God. Mrs. Monroe kept her favorite bible passage on the refrigerator to remind me her that God will help her, and to not worry about how they will be fed and clothed. I think it is important to maintain some sense of stability and comfort when you are experiencing difficult times. Through Cramer's observation of the Monroe family, they truly managed to define resiliency.

Field Trips 1&2

I personally have a difficult time with matters relating to religion, so I was concerned about raising questions during the trips. I think it was more helpful for me to listen to the other questions that were posed by other students and hear the nuns and seminarians response. I thought it was nice that a lot of people call and e-mail the sisters for guidance and prayer during difficult times. When I think of nuns or women involved in religious life, I kind of place them in a different category than everyone else: in a good and bad way. They're in a different category in a good way such that they have a vastly different purpose and mission in life than someone like me does. Similarly, I place them in a different category in a bad way because I feel as if they are missing out on so much in life such as marriage, children, etc. But then again, maybe they look at someone like me and imagine that by not devoting my life to God, that I am missing out on so much. I guess it could go either way. Nonetheless, it was certainly an interesting and eye-opening experience for me.

Visiting the seminary was probably my favorite thing that we've done so far. The seminary was beautiful and breathtaking. I was interested to learn that it is more like a college. I was under the impression that is was solely based around religious studies and becoming ordained. I had no idea it was sort of like a huge religious fraternity. Everyone was very welcoming and nice, and I think that was also helpful with my reservations about religion. My favorite part was when we all sat in the classroom and students asked questions. I particulary enjoyed when one of the girls in our class asked one of the Deacon's how he handles people's questions of faith due to the evil and sadness in the world. His response was that God allows us to make free choices, and that "darkness is simply the absence of light." I was really moved by that quote, because that particular question kind of sums up my personal struggles with religion. I really enjoyed this trip the most.